A musical journey through MMO soundscapes, Battle Bards reviews and discusses the soundtrack of MMORPGs with a trio of engaging hosts. The Battle Bards podcast alternates with Retro Reprise every other week, a half-hour podcast showcasing classic VGM from the ’80s and ’90s.

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A musical journey through MMO soundscapes, Battle Bards reviews and discusses the soundtrack of MMORPGs with a trio of engaging hosts. The Battle Bards podcast alternates with Retro Reprise every other week, a half-hour podcast showcasing classic VGM from the ’80s and ’90s.

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Speakpipe. We read our mailbag at the end of each show, so your questions will usually be answered on air within a few weeks time. Thanks!

Logo Credits

A big thanks to Tesh for the original Battle Bards logo!
Retro Reprise TV graphic designed by Zirconicusso.

And lo, as the Battle Bards walk through the zone of the shadow of death, they will fear no evil, but they will listen to evil's soundtrack because that is what they do! In today's episode, the crew looks at the darker side of MMORPG soundtracks, dwelling in the wicked, the profane, and the deliciously macabre. Also, Syp does his Cookie Monster voice.

Episode 104 show notes

Intro (feat."In the Darkest Hour" from Vindictus, "Twilight Vale" from World of Warcraft, and "Theme" from Hellgate London)

"Into the Shadows" from Dragon's Prophet

"Zombie Apocalypse" from The Secret World

"Eulogy for Hope" from Warhammer Online

"Krall Theme" from Aion

"Battle of the Black Gate" from Lord of the Rings Online

"Warsong" from World of Warcraft

"The Heartbeat of Evil / The Strain" from WildStar

Which one did we like best?

Jukebox Picks: "Monster Town" from Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, "1:00 A.M." from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and "The Synapse" from Deus Ex

You think you've heard strange MMORPG soundtracks before, but Wurm Online is about to take you to the odd frontier. With two distinctive soundtracks that skew away from typical composition, Wurm baffles, amuses, and bewitches the Battle Bards in today's show!

Episode 103 show notes

Intro (feat. "Sunrise,""Long Summer," and "Traveling")

"Waking Up"

"Why You Dive"

"Abandon the Hill"

"Flatland Stride"

"They Wait Back Home"

"Along the Broken Ridge"

"Village Work Song"

Which one did we like best?

Jukebox Picks: "Stormblood Theme" from Final Fantasy XIV, "Shipwreck Creek" from Yooka Laylee, and "The Path" from The Last of Us

Is it even possible for pure joy to be derived from MMORPG music? Whether or not, the Battle Bards are going to take a serious stab at it in today's episode! Each piece is hand-picked and home-brewed to distill joy for the listener, coated in sparkling hopes and drizzled with fond memories. No matter what, you're in for an uplifting show!

As the Battle Bards cruise into their second hundred episodes, it's time to cover a very long-lived fantasy MMO from 2002, Ragnarok Online. The game has an... interesting soundtrack and a devoted following in some circles, but as the crew discovered on today's show, the score is not without its criticisms. It's time to kick summer vacation to the curb and trumpet another parade of MMO music!

After four years and over 700 MMORPG music tracks, the Battle Bards have arrived at their 100th show! For this centennial spectacular, Syl, Steff, and Syp reminisce about the most notable shows, their best soundtrack discoveries, and their favorite tracks. This super-sized show gets wrapped up with a bout of listener emails and a promise of another amazing hundred episodes!

The Battle Bards are on vacation at a tropical beach paradise! In the team's 99th episode, they examine beach, resort, and island music cues from MMORPGs. Can it still be a resort when everything around you is out for murder? As long as the music is this good, who cares?

Episode 99 show notes

Intro (feat. "Maple Island 1" from MapleStory 2 and “Castaways” from World of Warcraft)

"Starter Beach" from Wonderland Online

"Dolphin Island" from Rose Online

"Costa del Sol" from FFXIV

"Caribbean Port" from Pirates of the Burning Sea

"Oceania Town" from Uncharted Waters Online

"Port BGM" from Lime Odyssey

"A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar

Which one did we like the best?

Jukebox Picks: "Run Program" from Tron Run_r, "Theme" from The Tenth Line, and "Oakvale" from Fable

Perfect World -- it's not just a massive games publisher, it's also an MMORPG! The team at Battle Bards timidly tiptoe into this unknown soundtrack, not sure of what may lurk around the next bend. Is it a pile of suck? An undiscovered gem? Forgettable fluff? We're not going to tell you in the intro here, you'll have to listen along with us to find out!

Episode 97 show notes

Intro (feat. “Rising Tide Theme” and "Frostcovered City")

"Fly With Me/Etherblade City"

"Archosaur"

"Plume City"

"City of Raging Tides"

"Descent Theme"

"Genesis Theme"

"Cube of Fate"

Which one did we like the best?

Jukebox Picks: "Main Theme" from Horizon Zero Dawn, "The Capital with a Beautiful Lake and the Holy Sword" from Tales of Zestiria, and "Caprice" from Morrowind

The forces of magic run deep within MMORPGs, casting shadows of wonder wherever we look -- and listen. In today's show, Syl sparks a musical revolution as her fellow Bards struggle to rise to the challenge of defining what, exactly, constitutes a "magical" track and evokes that particular feeling. Did we nail it? You'll have to join us for the journey to find out!

With those words, you know you're in for a rollicking good adventure -- and some impressive and spellbinding music to match! On today's episode, the Battle Bards return to Star Wars: The Old Republic to look at the music of the recent expansions. Has the Force been with this MMO's soundtrack? I've got a bad good feeling about this!

Episode 96 show notes (show page, direct download)

Intro (feat. “Star Wars Main Theme,”"Fallen Empire Main Theme," and "Scorpio, the Deceiver")

Are they music critics or funky spelunkers? Today, the Battle Bards are both as they delve into the secrets of MMORPG cave and cavern music. It may not be a part of these games that you think about muchly, but underground spaces tend to be assigned their own unique sounds and themes. Let's check them out!

Episode 95 show notes

Intro (feat. "Cave of Wonders" from Vanguard, "Cave of Life" from MapleStory, and "Christmas Caverns" from RuneScape)

"Mysterious Cavern" from Shroud of the Avatar

"Misterious Cave" from Lineage II

"Caverns of Time" from World of Warcraft

"Ursa Caverns" from Rappelz

"Nameless Cave" from Ragnarok Online 2

"Memorial Caverns" from Free Realms

"Kaphras Cave" from Black Desert

Which one did we like the best?

Jukebox picks: "Main Theme" from Dragon Age Origins, "To the Ends of the Galaxy" from Stellaris, "Main Theme (Amiga)" from Secret of Monkey Island